Awaiting Destiny Page 7

“We will take the first exit,” Kincade said, motioning to the right.

  Destiny nodded. The feeling of flittering fish burst to life in her stomach, knowing they were close. She rubbed it gently, hoping to calm it down. She hated being nervous! She willed her jitters away and reached for Kincade’s hand. He took it instantly, giving it a little squeeze.

  Little electric shivers raced up her arm and she settled into a silly smile. Destiny wouldn’t admit it, but she was glad to have him along--even though he insisted on calling her irritating names. He had proven to be a good guide and a fun companion, and she hoped she could find a way to repay him before she went home.

  “Here we go!” Kincade shouted, gleefully. “This is the best part!”

  A few powerful beats of his tail sent them careening through the right passageway. It was much brighter. Aqua lights dappled the entire stonewalls in bright, welcoming light. They continued for a moment longer before the passageway took an incredibly steep, upward turn.

  “Kick as hard as you can, Princess!” Kincade shouted.

  Kincade started to beat his tail vigorously, as they rose almost vertically up the tube. Destiny followed suit, kicking her legs with all her might.

  “Slowly blow all the water from your lungs and hold your breath until we reach the top.” Kincade advised. “It will help you adjust to the air.”

  “The air?” Destiny questioned, not waiting for an answer. She pursed her lips like she was kissing the water, blowing all the water from her lungs and holding her breath as tightly as she could.

  Through the clear water above them, a small opening rushed closer and closer. Destiny felt like she was in a shaken soda bottle on her way to being spit out the top. Suddenly they popped out on a great, bubbling fountain of seawater. She instantly felt like she was falling until they landed with a huge splash in a small underground pool. Looking around, she found herself surprised to be partially out of water.

  Destiny sputtered for a second, spitting out the little bit of water left in her lungs and took a deep breath. It seemed so light and easy to breath, though the air tasted heavy with moisture and stagnation. The smell of salt and seaweed seemed overpowering for a second as her senses adjusted.

  They were inside a large sea cave filled with stalactites that hung down like giant icicles from the ceiling. The walls were again glowing iridescently with lovely multicolored algae intermixed with blue and white lights that sparkled like diamonds and emeralds. The effect was quite mesmerizing.

  “That was amazing!” she accidentally screeched. Her voice echoed loudly through the cave.

  Kincade covered his ears, wincing. She thought she see his teeth vibrating slightly.

  “Perhaps I should have mentioned that coming out of the water takes a bit of …adjustment,” he whispered patiently.

  “Oops! Sorry,” Destiny whispered, feeling dumb. She put her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. “Where are we? Is this Dolphinium Palace?”

  “Not yet, but that tunnel leads to the dry section of the palace,” he said, pointing to an arched passageway that had a sign that read: Dolphinium Palace-Dry Section Ahead.

  “Part of the palace is dry? Why?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

  “Well…for one, there is quite an extensive royal library that holds many topside books and documents and things that don’t keep well underwater,” Kincade told her. “Plus there is a museum, extra throne room and several other rooms that are furnished with imported topside goods.”

  He leaned down as though he had a secret. “There is a rumor that the king likes to sleep on a mat stuffed with goose feathers! It’s totally absurd, of course.” he said, shaking his head indignantly. “Goose feathers, imagine that!”

  Destiny mimicked his laughter, deciding to keep her down comforter a secret.

  “Well, what do you sleep on?” she asked curiously, as they slowly climbed out of the pool. Being out of water made her feel extra heavy, like she had gained a few hundred pounds since this morning. It was rather nice to feel solid ground beneath her feet. She wiggled her toes on the hard stone resisting the urge to do the moonwalk.

  “Well, at home I am lucky enough to have the same soft sponge that I had when I was born,” Kincade said. “It has grown up with me, in a manner of speaking. When I am abroad, like now, I make do with whatever accommodations are available.”

  Kincade had changed into his legs before climbing out of the pool. Destiny was surprised that he seemed so big next to her and his bare feet looked so huge. He was at least a head taller. She supposed it was difficult to notice when he was swimming around with a tail and she quickly averted her eyes so he wouldn’t catch her staring at his feet.

  Dripping wet, her hair clung in massive clumps down her back. A few stray curls wrapped wetly to her knees, making her first step a little tricky. Her tennis shoes had certainly seen better days. They squished out water through the lace holes like miniature fountains as she walked. It made each step sound like she was wringing out a wet sponge.

  “Do you mean you are not from Mertopia?” Destiny asked, a little too loudly. Her surprise made her forget where she was.

  “No, Princess, I am not from Mertopia,” Kincade told her. “I am here on a more temporary basis. I’m afraid my responsibilities at home require me to return at the end of the season.”

  Her heart gave an odd little tug at the thought of him leaving to go home. Where ever that was.

  “You are leaving?” Destiny croaked out stupidly. She had just gotten used to the whole idea of merpeople and now the one she had made friends with would be leaving.

  “I am afraid I must, but it won’t be for a few full moons yet. I have much more to do before I return,” he said, quietly.

  She got the feeling that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She would wait to grill him for more information later, when he didn’t expect it.

  They walked briskly along the twisting tunnel. It felt good to be using her legs. It made her feel as though she had a slight advantage. The walls were jagged at first, like the passageway was carved from the stone with a chisel and axe. As they traveled further, it turned progressively even until it was if the walls had magically turned into polished stone, as smooth as a mirror. The many layers of the rock glistened in hues of black, green and brown. Some even had veins of white and pink like a marble floor in a fancy hotel entrance.

  “The doorway is just up ahead. When we get in, there may be a few merpeople who will recognize you,” Kincade said, gently. “Don’t worry, things will be just fine.”

  Every step seemed like a mile. She felt as if she were walking in slow motion.

  Kincade thought people would recognize her? Her? Destiny Mariner, a regular girl from Enchanted Cove? She highly doubted it! Still… she couldn’t deny that Mrs. Waverly certainly had. That was weird!

  The two turned a sharp corner and a huge iron door came into view. It looked very sturdy, but seemed to be missing a handle and keyhole. Just as Destiny was about to ask how to enter, it startled her by swing open. She stepped behind Kincade nervously. Two monstrously large guards, every bit as enormous as her dad, and looking like they just stepped off the set of a gladiator movie, loomed on each side of the doorway. Their thick, muscled arms hung dangerously close to wicked, sharp-looking swords and heavy clubs that were tied to their belts. She looked up and up, for what seemed like an incredibly long time, to finally see their stern, suspicious faces.

  Destiny stopped dead in her tracks and thought seriously about freezing them, until she had a chance to walk by safely. Kincade seemed to read her mind and flashed her a warning glance, then turned to the guards. He smiled cheerfully and said, “Good evening Sharkney, Tide.”

  They both nodded slightly without saying a word. She could feel their eyes boring into her as she passed; sizing her up as a potential threat, and she did her best to look extra innocent. As they tiptoed past, she could have sworn that the guard called Sharkney winked at her underneath his short sea-foam-color
ed eyebrows.

  Perhaps he had an eye twitch… or it was just her imagination? Feeling better out of sword distance, Destiny chanced a quick glance back. They seemed to be staring straight ahead as if they didn’t even see them anymore.

  They were out of earshot when Kincade leaned close to her ear. “You know, when they are not on guard duty they are not nearly as..” He wrinkled his brow as if searching for the best description. “Intense,” he finished whispering. “In fact, on Sharkney’s off-hours he is a rather well-respected hair stylist. Many mermaids I have met here seek his expert attentions.”

  Destiny giggled at the thought of that huge, dangerous looking merman fussing over the perfect hair. Her hands unconsciously went to her own tangled, wet tresses.

  Many mermaids I have met…hmmm. I wonder how many?

  She stuffed down her annoying jealously as they walked down a short corridor and through a heavy door to the dry entrance hall. It was long and narrow with highly polished marble floors and walls. A row of intricately carved marble statues on pedestals graced each side. As they walked closer, Destiny realized they were life-sized merpeople, carved from stone.

  Kincade didn’t hurry her along, so she walked very slowly taking in her unfamiliar surroundings. She stopped in front of the first statue of a handsome merman, and studied his face. Even made from stone, his eyes showed a delightful twinkle. She suspected in real life he was quite mischievous. The plaque on the base read: King B. Dolphinium I. 1823-1900.

  The next was of a merwoman, stern and matronly-looking. Her plaque read: Queen Coral Dolphinium-1829-1899. Destiny suspected that Queen Coral had to keep King B. in line.

  “Kincade…they are beautiful! So real-looking. Are they famous merpeople?” she gasped.

  “This is Remembrance Hall, a tribute to the Mertopia royal family members who are no longer with us,” he said, respectively.

  Destiny looked down the row, struck by the lifelike images before her. It reminded her of a wax museum she saw with her dad once. Then she glimpsed a beautiful mermaid statue at the end of the row, slightly away from the others. It seemed to beckon to her and she found herself walking forward as if in a trance. The whole world seemed to fade away. For a moment she didn’t worry that she was in a strange place, far from home or that everything she thought she knew was changing. What mattered was the truth. Her heart filled with sadness as each step led her closer to the stone figure. She knew instinctively who the mermaid was, and she tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she approached.

  Her eyes welled up and hot tears threatened to flood down her cheeks as she stared at the stone face that she only knew from pictures. She didn’t want to cry. Not here, not now. She took a deep breath, struggling to keep her tears under control.

  The statue was exquisitely perfect. Her mother’s features, looking so much like her own, looked soft and kind even carved from stone. Her mouth held a hint of a smile and her lovely eyes seemed to look up to some far-off place. Around her graceful neck was a perfect replica of the stone necklace Destiny now wore, every intricate detail carved flawlessly. Her tail was folded under her in a blissful, playful pose. She was smaller than Destiny had imagined, not any bigger then she was now.

  Destiny traced her finger along the name in the plaque: Princess Shelleen Mariner, born 1980. Strangely, there didn’t seem to be another date inscribed. She was lost in her thoughts and jumped when Kincade lightly touched her shoulder.

  “Sometimes things are not as they seem,” he said, softly.

  “I suppose I should have believed she was gone. But, sometimes, I just get the strangest feeling that she is still here somehow,” she croaked, in a voice that she barely recognized as her own. “It’s just that I never really knew and I …had always hoped…” Her voice trailed off and she wiped a stray tear that slid down her cheek. Her heart ached for all the years she had grown up without her mother. And for her dad…she knew he missed her horribly. So much he could barely talk about it, even with her.

  They must have been quite a pair, this tiny beautiful woman and her huge intimidating husband. Destiny wished she could have seen them together. Her heart swelled at the thought and she tried to smile, but the strain made her face feel like it was splitting in two.

  Then suddenly, a shrieking scream of a woman pierced the hall, followed by the sound of shattering glass. It startled both Kincade and Destiny. They whirled, almost knocking each other over.

  Destiny saw a lithe merwoman with enchanting green eyes standing there. Remnants of a crystal glass splayed around the stone floor glistening like glitter.

  Her lovely face was pale and seemed frozen in a peculiar, shocked expression. She had one hand over her mouth as if she was stifling a scream. Destiny noticed her ring finger had a wedding band with a huge emerald that sparkled like her eyes.

  “It wasn’t me…I swear! I didn’t freeze her!” Destiny chirped, leaning on Kincade. She quickly wiped away her tears on the back of her hand, hoping he hadn’t noticed.

  The sound of Destiny’s voice seemed to snap the merwoman out of her daze. “Princess Shelleen? Kincade?” she asked hesitantly, stepping forward. The sound of glass crunching beneath her slippered feet seemed to echo throughout the hall.

  “Ummm,…no ma’am,” Destiny corrected, gently. “ I am Destiny Mariner. Pleased to meet you.”

  “Oh my!…Destiny??…Of course,” the woman said, fanning her face a second with her hand as if cooling her burning thoughts. Then her face brightened and a warm, welcoming smile replaced the shock. “It’s just. .well, you look so much like her! For a moment, I thought…Oh, it doesn’t matter.” She shook her head as if dismissing the explanation.

  “Kincade!” she shrieked. again “Where in heaven’s sea did you find her?” she asked, fussing around Destiny like a mother hen. Destiny felt like a rag doll as this woman held her at arms’ length to get a good look, then pulled her in for a hug, then repeated the process several times.

  “Well, we must let your grandfather know of your presence almost immediately!” the woman said, with a long lashed wink of her cat-like eyes.

  Kincade bowed slightly finally speaking, “Your highness, I found her picking on a great white shark,” he said, throwing a wink at Destiny. She threw back a glare that could have iced him even without her magic necklace. She didn’t want this woman to think of her as a bully!

  The woman laughed musically and gave Destiny another proud, little hug. “A great white? Really? That’s quite interesting,” she said, sounding rather impressed. “I have always been quite fond of them myself.”

  Destiny couldn’t imagine why, but kept that to herself.

  “Destiny, meet your lovely Aunt Oceanna,” Kincade said, looking rather self-satisfied.

  “Oh stop! Kincade! Flattery from such a young man makes me feel so old!” Oceanna said, with an expression that looked as if she had just bitten into a lemon. “You may call me Oceanna if you prefer…leave out the lovely.”

  Her aunt? She wondered how many people she was related to that she didn’t know about. Destiny didn’t think she looked old enough to be an aunt. Perhaps merpeople just looked younger than regular people since it was probably more difficult for them to take up smoking and sun tanning.

  “Well, if you don’t mind, would Aunt Oceanna be okay?” Destiny asked. “I have never had an aunt before, and I kind of always wanted one.”

  “I think that would be lovely, Destiny.”

  Then Oceanna seemed to snap to the business at hand. “Kincade, thank you for accompanying Destiny. Why don’t you go report to Professor Seamore? I think it would be good to have him know of her arrival at once. You can meet with her again at dinner time,” she said, leaving no room for argument.

  Kincade looked reluctant for a split second, and then seemed to think it was a good idea.

  “As you wish, ma’am,” he said, nodding.

  Kincade turned to Destiny. “Princess, it has been a pleasure. I leave you in the capable care of your aunt a
nd look forward to seeing you at dinner.” He bowed grandly and reached for her hand, placing a soft kiss on its back.

  “Stop that!” she squealed, bursting into a fit of nervous giggles. She snatched her hand back, but the burning sensation seemed to creep up her arms and her neck setting her cheeks a flame. That was not the type of attention from boys she was used to. To her horror she liked it.

  Her aunt laughed merrily. “It seems you have finally met a girl who hasn’t instantly fallen victim to your charm and good looks. Good.” She sent Destiny an approving nod, still smiling.

  “Farewell for now, then,” Kincade said, turning quickly and making his way back through Remembrance Hall.

  Destiny watched him walk away and started to feel very alone. Her aunt must have read her mind because she gave her another reassuring hug. “Don’t worry, Destiny. I know you have had quite a day, but not to worry! I promise everything will be okay and you will understand more before the day’s end.”

  “Perhaps, she said cheerfully, “You will feel much better after a little rest.”

  Destiny nodded nervously, but felt the tension instantly ease away.

  “Yes,” Oceanna continued, more to herself than to Destiny. “I think I will take you to your room to rest for a bit before you meet your grandfather…. and to do something with your hair, of course.” she added, stroking a clumped, tattered ringlet with a motherly hand.

  Destiny groaned inwardly and placed her hand on her head protectively. Was there no escape from comb torture anywhere?

  Then, all of a sudden, resting seemed like the best idea anybody ever had. Destiny hadn’t realized how exhausted she was until Oceanna suggested resting. Even the clenched excitement in the pit of her stomach did little to keep her eyes from wanting to close. Something feels a little fishy.

  Chapter 6

  Mermaid Makeover

  “Come along, darling,” Oceanna said, gently guiding Destiny out of the hall. Through heavy eyes, Destiny sneaked one last glance at the statue of her mother. Her image would stay etched in her mind and she would always treasure it. If it were only real.